Not to be confused with the other SLC - a name given in some parts of the media to the unrelated, full-on Mercedes-Benz 'Gullwing' supercar our sources assure us is definitely coming in 2010 - this car is based on the current SL roadster. But as the added C hints, the SLC is a fixed-roof coupe, with a new carbon-fibre arrangement replacing the folding metal hardtop found on every other SL. And you can clearly see from the bodywork that more than just the roof has been modified. Equivalent to a 'Black Series' version of the SL, Mercedes' AMG tuning division has really had the spanners out.
The bodywork is a hint at just how much work is going on under the skin here. The front and rear wings are massively wider than those of the regular SL - putting us in mind of the wide-arch AMG Mercedes coupes of the 1980s - accommodating a vastly increased track and huge alloy wheels that are expected to be made from lightweight magnesium. The result is a wheelbase that looks almost square, and a backside profile Jennifer Lopez would be proud of. Reports suggest the SL's air suspension has been ditched in favour of steel springs and a much more uncompromising driving experience.
This would also help to save weight, a project aided by the carbon roof. There's also a carbon bonnet, covered in cooling vents for the engine as you can see beneath the disguise in the photographs, a carbon rear wing, and a diffuser under the back bumper. The engine itself is still something of a mystery, however. It could be a seriously upgraded version of the 6.2-litre AMG 63 engine, currently found in the C63, CLK63, and others. Or an all-new development of Mercedes' 5.5-litre V8 - bored out to 6.0-litres and probably with a pair of turbochargers strapped on for good measure.
Power will be around 600-700bhp, with similar levels of torque, driving the rear wheels via a reinforced version of Mercedes' seven-speed automatic gearbox. Pricing is anyone's guess at this stage, but we imagine the SLC will cost less than the £300,000 SLR McLaren as Mercedes needs to leave room at the top for the aforementioned SLR-replacing Gullwing supercar. The SLC pictured here looks relatively complete, so we expect to see the finished article officially unveiled in 2008; the cladding also hides mild styling revisions to the ordinary SL, anticipated for production in the new year
Source: http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/car_news_article.aspx?cp-documentid=6329624